The invention relates to improved circuitry and antenna structures and methods for a remotely controlled collar-mounted animal training system, and more particularly to improvements therein which avoid potential damage to the animal training system due to rough usage, allow optional use of an external flex antenna, easy use of the system, and improve its overall reliability.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,794,402 (Gonda et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,428 (Farkus), U.S. Pat. No. 4,802,482 (Gonda et al.), all incorporated herein by reference, are generally indicative of the state of the art for collar-mounted animal training devices.
FIG. 8, labeled "prior art", is a reproduction of FIG. 4 of the above mentioned '402 patent by Gonda et al.; note that the same reference numerals are retained from the '402 patent. It shows a flexible top-loaded flex antenna structure having a rigid upper winding 24 wound on a stiff support. The winding 24 is electrically connected to a conductive coil spring 19 which connects the upper winding 24 to a threaded conductive base 17. The conductive base 17 can be screwed into a conductive mounting base on a collar-mounted receiver. When a large, strong dog wearing the collar-mounted receiver unit is rushing through brush, briar patches and the like in a training situation, the flex antenna may be subjected to a great deal of stress and torque. As a result, the assignee has found that a solder connection 22 connecting the winding 24 to the coil spring 19 may weaken and eventually break. Furthermore, the flex antenna may become unscrewed from the mounting base, and hence lost, as a result of torque applied thereto when the flex antenna rubs against a branch of a tree or large bush as the dog runs past or through it. Also, the plastic sheath 26 often is torn off of the flex antenna as the dog runs through brush. Another common problem is that one dog chews on the external antenna carried by another dog. In some cases, the life of a flex antenna can be as short as a few weeks, after which it must be replaced, at substantial cost.
In view of the foregoing, it can be appreciated that there are training situations in which it would be desirable to not have an external antenna at all in order to avoid the above described damage that is frequently caused to external flex antennas of a remote controlled receiver unit carried by a large dog. Some of the assignee's collar-mounted remote training devices therefore include only an internal ferrite antenna, which typically provides a range of approximately 0.5-0.7 mile.
Dogs being trained by professional trainers frequently become wet during training exercises, as a result of rain or from jumping into a creek or marsh or the like. If the flex antenna of a collar-mounted training device such as the one shown in prior art FIG. 8 absorbs water or allows leakage into the internal structure of the antenna, the water can cause corrosion of the antenna connections and can also cause "de-tuning" of the receiver, causing the receiver unit to suddenly become "out of range" of the remote transmitter being operated by the trainer. Intermittent internal connections of a external flex antenna can be very problematic by making it difficult to know when a flex antenna needs to be replaced. Intermittent training signals and associated training stimulus interrupt the training process and confuse both the trainer and the animal and hence are exceedingly counterproductive.
Although the products marketed by the assignee which are generally disclosed in the above patents have proven to be reliable, efficient, and inexpensive, it nevertheless would be desirable to provide improved collar-mounted animal training systems which are more reliable and less subject to physical damage as a result of the vigorous behavior of dogs during training exercises.